This invention relates to a side air curtain and inflator overhead system and to a method of manufacturing thereof.
Automotive manufacturers have invested significant resources toward the development of safety devices. These devices include active restraint systems such as seat belts and passive restraint systems such as air bags. Air bags are well known in the art and are frequently implemented/incorporated into vehicles. Generally, air bag systems include one or more air bags which are stored and packaged in a folded or deflated condition in storage areas within the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. The air bag systems include sensors located at various points in the vehicle. Upon impact, the sensors are triggered thereby sending a signal to a gas generator or ignitor. The gas generator or ignitor is connected/linked to the air bag. The gas generator operates to inflate the air bag when it receives a signal from the sensors.
As the air bag is inflated, the air bag breaks through its storage compartment and then acts to cushion the vehicle occupant against impact with the interior of the motor vehicle.
It is well known in the art to mount air bags in the front dashboard of a motor vehicle on the front passenger side or in the steering wheel of a motor vehicle in order to protect a driver. Although known in the art and less commonly implemented, side mounted air bags may be employed in a motor vehicle. Side mounted air bags are generally mounted directly onto the roof of the vehicle where the side mounted air bag is a curtain which protects the occupant from colliding against the A-Pillar, B-Pillar, and/or windows of the motor vehicle. Upon impact, the side mounted air curtain air bag inflates and bends the headliner edge downward so that the air curtain may protect the occupant from the window and pillars of the motor vehicle. Although this air bag has many benefits, the space limitations in the interior of a motor vehicle have proven it difficult to incorporate this type of air bag into a motor vehicle. For example, upon impact the side air curtain must be securely anchored to the motor vehicle to insure that it is properly positioned between the occupant and the vehicle frame/windows. In an attempt to meet this objective, prior art systems generally anchored at several points along the curtain or at each end of the air curtain to the roof of the motor vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,672 issued to Karlow et al. discloses the curtain-style air bag and a typical mounting arrangement where the air bag curtain is mounted at each end of the curtain. Karlow further mounts one end of the curtain to a moveable mounting point to guide the curtain down the vehicle as it is inflated. Other systems may include a tether between the air bag curtain and the roof to properly guide the curtain down the motor vehicle.
However, as part of the manufacturing process, a substantial amount of time and labor resources are used to mount the air bags to the motor vehicle and then assemble the components surrounding the vehicle. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,103 issued to Vaillancourt, a motor vehicle head impact air bag system is provided. The Vaillancourt reference describes an air bag which deploys downward from impacting with the upper interior portions of the vehicle. The air bag is hidden in the ceiling of the vehicle behind panels in a vinyl cover. The panels open by the inflation of the air bag to allow its downward deployment. The panels are defined by a tear seam and a living hinge formed in the vinyl cover.
With respect to the side curtain air bag, this type of air bag, as mentioned before, is generally mounted directly to the roof of the motor vehicle. Then, the next manufacturing step requires the attachment of the headliner to the motor vehicle. These separate manufacturing steps require automobile assemblers to invest more time, packaging costs, and labor costs than is necessary to produce a vehicle.
Consequently, a need has developed for a side impact head restraint system which is integrated with a headliner of an automobile thereby reducing manufacture time and manufacture errors while ensuring an effective and reliable safety restraint system.
It is a principle object of this invention to provide an integrated passive occupant restraint system and headliner which may be installed/incorporated into a motor vehicle in one step.
It is another object of this invention to reduce the time of assembling a motor vehicle and the cost of assembling a motor vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a side impact head restraint system which meets minimal packing space requirements.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an air bag curtain which is integrated with a headliner.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects and features, an integrated passive occupant restraint system and headliner is provided. The integrated headliner and passive occupant restraint system which includes a headliner, an inflatable restraint curtain, and a gas generator. The headliner is generally mounted inside a vehicle and across the interior roof of the vehicle. The headliner may include a plurality of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Batt layers or other material such as foam. The headliner insulates the vehicle from outside sound and outside temperature. The inflatable restraint curtain is disposed within one or more of the headliner layers. Once inflated, the inflatable restraint curtain serves to cushion a vehicle occupant""s head and torso during a side impact collision. The inflatable restraint curtain extends beyond the headliner and is mounted to the vehicle at least two points. The first mounting point is located at a first end of the curtain and the second mounting point is located at the second end of the curtain. The inflatable air curtain is triggered by one or more sensors which are located at different points in the vehicle. The sensors detect a collision to generate a corresponding signal.
More particularly, the headliner may be comprised of one or more PET Batt layers where the side air curtain is embedded between the PET Batt layers and the layers are joined through compression molding.
Still more particularly, the sensors and the inflatable air curtain cooperate with a gas generator which is in fluid communication with the inflatable restraint curtain. The gas generator generates gas in response to a signal generated by the plurality of sensors, the generated gas inflates the curtain causing the curtain to deploy thereby tearing the seam between the headliner layers and eventually covering the window of the vehicle.
A method of manufacturing an integrated vehicle headliner and air curtain is also provided. The method includes: providing a plurality of layers of headliner material; positioning an inflatable air curtain between said plurality of layers; and compression molding the plurality of layers to form a headliner assembly with the air curtain compressed between said layers.
As those skilled in the art will recognize, the specific embodiment of this invention can vary depending upon the specific requirements of the air curtain assembly and the headliner. Although the particular size, shape and form of the air bag curtain and headliner will vary, all embodiments utilize the elements of this invention.
The above objects, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are more readily understood from a review of the attached drawings and the accompanying specification and claims.